The new gateway to vocational training in Hamburg: cut-e announces partner-ship with the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

cut-e has been appointed to support the processes of the Centre for Vocational and Further Education for those trainees, twin-track students and staff being recruited and will deliver this via an online, suitability-oriented selection procedure.

The online tests are to be carried out in the Centre for Vocational and Further Education (ZAF)'s modern facilities. ZAF is a Senate department of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg - Personnel Office. With the introduction of the online testing process, the aim is to provide fast and modern information to support the very specific selection of suitable candidates for the offices, departments and agencies of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The new process enables candidate potential to be ascertained quickly as test results are available to the personnel department immediately upon completion of the test by the test taker and this is in contrast to the previous cumbersome and longwinded scoring procedures when paper and pencil tests were used.

These new suitability tests assess the reasoning, numeracy and/or literacy of the candidates depending on the vacancy for which they have applied. The test has been designed to also include ZAF-specific tests which look at general knowledge and cross-cultural awareness, as well as fill-in-the-blank exercises designed by expert test developers at cut-e. The approach to test development means that the tests taken are both fair and objective and offer ZAF a reliable measure of the suitability and fit between the applicants and the job roles. Candidates find the online presentation of the tests and the possibility of individually administrating the process a positive testing experience.

The XML interface provided by cut-e leads to a seamless communication between ZAF's application management system and cut-e's online assessment. The system itself is completely maintenance-free and any enhancements or updates take place automatically.

Volker Wiedemann, Business Manager for ZAF, explains: "The new testing procedure provides a contemporary element of our selection process. Through our partnership with cut-e, we've made great strides innovation, and will be carrying out approximately 2,000 suitability tests each year so that we continue to be successful in the competition for talent in this area. This very much strengthens our position as supplier to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg!"